Windows Registry

**Stang02GT** · May 9 '08, 12:08 PM

Originally posted by nethajireddy

Hi,
I have one doubt regarding registry, if we delete some thing in registry what and all it will delete. i think only the path anything else...
thanks in advance..

You need to be very careful when delete things from your registry.

Code:

The Windows registry is a directory which stores settings and options for the operating system for Microsoft Windows 32-bit versions, 64-bit versions and Windows Mobile. It contains information and settings for all the hardware, operating system software, most non-operating system software, users, preferences of the PC, etc. Whenever a user makes changes to Control Panel settings, file associations, system policies, or most installed software, the changes are reflected and stored in the registry. The registry also provides a window into the operation of the kernel, exposing runtime information such as performance counters and currently active hardware. This use of registry mechanism is conceptually similar to the way that Sysfs and procfs expose runtime information through the file system (traditionally viewed as a place for permanent storage), though the information made available by each of them differs tremendously.

Its not just a path as you can tell by the paragraph above, i would stay out of your registry unless you know what you are doing.

**questionit** · May 9 '08, 12:24 PM

Originally posted by nethajireddy

Hi,
I have one doubt regarding registry, if we delete some thing in registry what and all it will delete. i think only the path anything else...
thanks in advance..

Making incorrect changes to registry items can cause unexpected problems.

But if you have knowledge how to use the registry, it is a very handy thing.
You can do numerous things with it.

There are plenty tutorial avaialable online on Registry editing.

Regards
Qi

**AmberJain** · May 19 '08, 03:43 PM

I have a query.......... ..........

As far as I know, Regedit32.exe available in windows OSes is just REGISTRY EDITOR.

Can you please tell me where the actual settings of registry are stored on a PC? I mean to ask the name of file which stores settings of Windows Registry as regedit32 is just the editor (It is just 16 KB on my PC so it cannot certainly store all registry settings for a pc in just 16KB).

THANKS TO EVERYONE IN ADVANCE........ ..............

============
ambrnewlearner
============

**questionit** · May 19 '08, 05:41 PM

Originally posted by ambrnewlearner

I have a query.......... ..........

As far as I know, Regedit32.exe available in windows OSes is just REGISTRY EDITOR.

Can you please tell me where the actual settings of registry are stored on a PC? I mean to ask the name of file which stores settings of Windows Registry as regedit32 is just the editor (It is just 16 KB on my PC so it cannot certainly store all registry settings for a pc in just 16KB).

THANKS TO EVERYONE IN ADVANCE........ ..............

============
ambrnewlearner
============

In Win 98, the registry files are named USER.DAT and SYSTEM.DAT

In newer versions of Windows, registery is stored in different locations. I am not sure about file names.

Qi

**AmberJain** · May 20 '08, 08:19 AM

Originally posted by questionit

In Win 98, the registry files are named USER.DAT and SYSTEM.DAT

In newer versions of Windows, registery is stored in different locations. I am not sure about file names.

Qi

THANKS, questionit....
But I don't use Win 98 and therefore someone please tell me the exact location where registry settings are stored (for Win XP and Vista).

One more question----> Can we manually edit that file which stores registry settings (in XP or Vista), instead of using REGEDIT32.exe

THANKS TO EVERYONE IN ADVANCE........ ............... .......

============
AmbrNewlearner
============

**questionit** · May 21 '08, 08:33 AM

Originally posted by ambrnewlearner

THANKS, questionit....
But I don't use Win 98 and therefore someone please tell me the exact location where registry settings are stored (for Win XP and Vista).

One more question----> Can we manually edit that file which stores registry settings (in XP or Vista), instead of using REGEDIT32.exe

THANKS TO EVERYONE IN ADVANCE........ ............... .......

============
AmbrNewlearner
============

ambrnewlearner,

You can use Command Prompt's command: reg to manually edit the registery.
Type reg /? for help in Command Prompt.

I am not aware of any utility that lets you edit the Registery file. Can i ask why you dont want to use Regedit32.exe. Is it its interface you dont like?

Regarding location of the Registery file in Win Xp, i've found following from wikipedia:

"In Windows 2000 and Windows XP, the Registry is stored in several Hives (Group of keys, subkeys), located in the \windows\system 32\config and \Documents and Settings\{usern ame} folders. "

More about location from Microsoft website:

"A registry hive is a group of keys, subkeys, and values in the registry that has a set of supporting files that contain backups of its data. The supporting files for all hives except HKEY_CURRENT_US ER are in the %SystemRoot%\Sy stem32\Config folder on Windows NT 4.0, Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, and Windows Vista. The supporting files for HKEY_CURRENT_US ER are in the %SystemRoot%\Pr ofiles\Username folder. The file name extensions of the files in these folders indicate the type of data that they contain. Also, the lack of an extension may sometimes indicate the type of data that they contain.Registr y hive Supporting files
HKEY_LOCAL_MACH INE\SAM Sam, Sam.log, Sam.sav
HKEY_LOCAL_MACH INE\Security Security, Security.log, Security.sav
HKEY_LOCAL_MACH INE\Software Software, Software.log, Software.sav
HKEY_LOCAL_MACH INE\System System, System.alt, System.log, System.sav
HKEY_CURRENT_CO NFIG System, System.alt, System.log, System.sav, Ntuser.dat, Ntuser.dat.log
HKEY_USERS\DEFA ULT Default, Default.log, Default.sav
"

**AmberJain** · May 22 '08, 09:22 AM

THANKS questionit for your reply.........

Originally posted by questionit

ambrnewlearner,
You can use Command Prompt's command: reg to manually edit the registery.
Type reg /? for help in Command Prompt.

Huh.... I will try playing with cmd's reg command.

Originally posted by questionit

I am not aware of any utility that lets you edit the Registery file. Can i ask why you dont want to use Regedit32.exe. Is it its interface you dont like?

No, I don't hate its interface. I was just asking this one out of curiosity. If there existed a method to manually edit registry, then it would have been a very nice thing to learn that method as then we would have a better command over XP.

Originally posted by questionit

Regarding location of the Registery file in Win Xp, i've found following from wikipedia:

"In Windows 2000 and Windows XP, the Registry is stored in several Hives (Group of keys, subkeys), located in the \windows\system 32\config and \Documents and Settings\{usern ame} folders. "

More about location from Microsoft website:

"A registry hive is a group of keys, subkeys, and values in the registry that has a set of supporting files that contain backups of its data. The supporting files for all hives except HKEY_CURRENT_US ER are in the %SystemRoot%\Sy stem32\Config folder on Windows NT 4.0, Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, and Windows Vista. The supporting files for HKEY_CURRENT_US ER are in the %SystemRoot%\Pr ofiles\Username folder. The file name extensions of the files in these folders indicate the type of data that they contain. Also, the lack of an extension may sometimes indicate the type of data that they contain.Registr y hive Supporting files
HKEY_LOCAL_MACH INE\SAM Sam, Sam.log, Sam.sav
HKEY_LOCAL_MACH INE\Security Security, Security.log, Security.sav
HKEY_LOCAL_MACH INE\Software Software, Software.log, Software.sav
HKEY_LOCAL_MACH INE\System System, System.alt, System.log, System.sav
HKEY_CURRENT_CO NFIG System, System.alt, System.log, System.sav, Ntuser.dat, Ntuser.dat.log
HKEY_USERS\DEFA ULT Default, Default.log, Default.sav
"

CHEERS! This is what I was looking for... Thanks once again, questionit.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
There's a new doubt sprouting in my mind now:-
As in your reply,

Originally posted by questionit

".............. The supporting files for HKEY_CURRENT_US ER are in the %SystemRoot%\Pr ofiles\Username folder......... ............"

.
Now when I searched for %SystemRoot%\Pr ofiles folder (as in above quote from microsoft's website) on my PC, I couldnot find it. So this means that the supporting files for HKEY_CURRENT_US ER exist in some other folder which opposes microsoft online documentation. So I'm already trying to find the exact location of the supporting files for HKEY_CURRENT_US ER and if you could find it, please tell me.

==============
=AmbrNewlearner =
==============

**questionit** · May 22 '08, 02:22 PM

Originally posted by ambrnewlearner

THANKS questionit for your reply.........

Huh.... I will try playing with cmd's reg command.

No, I don't hate its interface. I was just asking this one out of curiosity. If there existed a method to manually edit registry, then it would have been a very nice thing to learn that method as then we would have a better command over XP.

CHEERS! This is what I was looking for... Thanks once again, questionit.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
There's a new doubt sprouting in my mind now:-
As in your reply,
.
Now when I searched for %SystemRoot%\Pr ofiles folder (as in above quote from microsoft's website) on my PC, I couldnot find it. So this means that the supporting files for HKEY_CURRENT_US ER exist in some other folder which opposes microsoft online documentation. So I'm already trying to find the exact location of the supporting files for HKEY_CURRENT_US ER and if you could find it, please tell me.

==============
=AmbrNewlearner =
==============

You are Welcome

If you look into this folder:

%SystemRoot%\Sy stem32\Config , there are plenty such files:

AppEvent.Evt
default
default.sav
SecEvent.Evt
Security
Software
Software.sav
--more--

I could not find files in %SystemRoot%\Pr ofiles on my PC , too. Maybe this applies to earlier version than XP.

Hope this helps?

Btw, i have found a similar Registery editor here:
http://www.dcsoft.com/products/regeditx/

Qi

**AmberJain** · May 23 '08, 04:44 PM

Originally posted by questionit

You are Welcome

If you look into this folder:

%SystemRoot%\Sy stem32\Config , there are plenty such files:

AppEvent.Evt
default
default.sav
SecEvent.Evt
Security
Software
Software.sav
--more--

I could not find files in %SystemRoot%\Pr ofiles on my PC , too. Maybe this applies to earlier version than XP.

Hope this helps?

Btw, i have found a similar Registery editor here:
http://www.dcsoft.com/products/regeditx/

Qi

Thanks questionit.....
Now I will work on this and if I find something useful I will tell you.

============
AmbrNewlearner
============

**Plater** · May 23 '08, 04:59 PM

Try this:
C:\Documents and Settings\<usern ame>\UserData\

There is an index.dat file there

**AmberJain** · May 23 '08, 05:39 PM

Originally posted by Plater

Try this:
C:\Documents and Settings\<usern ame>\UserData\

There is an index.dat file there

THANKS, plater....

BUT, the index.dat file is only 16KB in size which I THINK is not sufficient to store settings for HKEY_CURRENT_US ER.

Index.dat looks like--------->
_______________ _______________ _______________ _______________ _____
Client UrlCache MMF Ver 5.2 @ * XMXEZJYH K1WC1ARP SXKTA1QT 8BWXIZWL

_______________ _______________ _______________ _______________ _____

Also, C:\Documents and Settings\ambr\U serData contains 4 folders with the name XMXEZJYH, K1WC1ARP, SXKTA1QT, 8BWXIZWL which are mentioned in index.dat file. What does this mean (if you know, tell me)?

THANKS
ambrnewlearner

**AmberJain** · May 23 '08, 05:42 PM

One more question....... ......

What will happen if I delete (or modify manually) the files associated with registry?

I'm expecting my system to crash if I do such thing.......... ..

If anyone knows more, please tell me.........

THANKS TO EVERYONE IN ADVANCE........ ..

============
ambrnewlearner
============

**Plater** · May 23 '08, 06:10 PM

I would say, if it even lets you, that if it doesn't crash, the next you boot it is going to tell you that you have hive corruption in the registry and you need to re-install.

**articles** · May 27 '08, 07:22 AM

You can manually edit the registry from the command prompt: regedit.exe.

If you have good knowledge , then only edit it manually..If in case your registry gets damaged , try the repair software, windows registry repair software

Windows Registry

Windows Registry

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